Vegetable-cutting machine.



55 knife D is attached by two screws h h. For

fication.

zE-NKICHI oNo, oF MASURY, onIo.

vi-:feE'i-ABLE-cuT-rme- MACHINE.'

l Specification of, Letters Patent.

Application filed June 11l 1906i Serial No. 321,201.v

Patented May 7, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Y Be, it known that I, ZENKICHJ ONO, a subject of the Emperor of Japan, residing at Masury, Trumbull county, State of Ohio, United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Vegetable-Cutting Machines, of which the following is a speci- My invention relates to improvements in vegetable cutting machinesV in which a slicing knife may be used 'either alone or in con` junction with a series of knives, (hereinafter designated for convenience of reference subsidiary knives having their blades at right angles, or substantially so, to the plane of the slicing knife and to the cutting edge thereof. And the objects of my improvement are :-1 st, to provide an apparatus for cutting certain vegetables or fruits rapidly and uniformly, and in a variety of shapes, as

in slices, strips, cubes or rectangular or diamond shape( lozenges; 2nd, to provide an apparatus by which such objects may be cut both horizontally and vertically by a single movement; 3rd, in such an apparatus, tol provide an adjustable and reversible table, and means to secure readily the same in the position in which it may be placed for operation; and 4th, to provide a meanswhereby all of said knives may be securely fastened in place in the apparatus, but whereby said subsidiary knives may be readily removed, if desired. I obtain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which,-

Figure I is a plan of the implement set for the combined use of the slicing knife and the subsidiary knives. Fig. II is a lon itudinal section of the implement set for t e same use Similar letters refer to similar .parts throughout the several views.

K K L M constitute the frame Iofthe mat chine, the sides K K of which are slightly flexible laterally.

N N are legs raising the en d of the machine which is toward the operator for convenience of using. The same purpose, however, may be served by continuing the. frame end M downward beyond the frame proper and dispensing with the legs N N.

.I is a board or table permanently fixed to the sides K K and the end L of the frame.

- The under surface of J is )referably beveled at its inner end, and'to t is end the slicing .greater firmness this knife is also attached toV and supported by the frame sides K K by means of the tenons d d. j A

A is an adjustable board or table attached to the sides K K of the frame by the pivots H H. By means of this pivotable arrangement, the table A (hereinafter for convenience of reference designated as the tilting table), may be depressed at the inner end, or it may be turned completely over, thus reversing the upper and lower sides.

E E E are a series of tooth like blades set into' the end of the tilting table A, and at right angles, or substantially so, to the plane of the slicing blade and to the cutting edge thereof. The shape of these subsidiaryknives is not important. In the drawings they are shown as triangular, which is perhaps the most desirable shape. In order to secure a smooth surface for the vegetable to pass over in the process of cutting, these knives are set into the end of the tilting table A, and,

projecting below it, are bent at a rightr angle,

and fastened to the under end of the tableby .the screws y' j j. 'In the drawings these changing the substantial character of my l invention.

I is a spring attached tothe frame end M and pivoted thereon by means of the screw i. The function of the spring I is to return the tilting table A to its same plane as the tab e J, when, in the operation of the machine the subsidiary knives E E Eare being used. When it is desired to reverse the table A, the spring I is swung par?v allel to the frame end M and may be allowed toV remain in this :position while the slicing knife D is alone being used. 'l

G' is a bolt or rod passing transversel f through the frame sides K K and throu one or the otherA of the holes or slots g g inte tilting table A. One end of the said bolt or rod has an angular shoulder, a, which sets into a corres onding socket in one -of the frame sides and thus revents the rod turning -when the nut or t umb screw F is turned. The otherpend ofl said rod or bolt is threaded and provided with a nut or thumb screw F under which y may be placed,l if. de-

primary position in the The two holes or slots g g Apass transversely through the tilting table, parallel to its axis and e uidistant therefrom. The may be of any desired `shape but must be larger', in the direction of motion of the tiltin table A, than the diameter of the bolt By tightening the thumb screw F, the sides KK of the frame are forced against the edges of the tilting table A, which is thereby secured at any desired position within the limits of its motion permitted by the relative diameters of the bolt G and the hole or slot g.

' k is a groove running. longitudinallyy along the inner sides, K K, of the frame. B and C are two blocks lyin tables A and J respectively, and s iding thereon. Thesetwo blocks B and C are connected by a light rod m passing throu h both e K I at right 'angles to the frame si s Said rod m is bent at right angles upon emerging from the blocks B and C, andslides in the groove k acting as a guide for the blocks B knives E E E andso arran ed that when the knives. E

block B is 1pressed againstt e said subsidiary housed within said block.

To use the implement for slicing purposes the tilting table A is set with the smooth side uppermost, as in Figs. 3 and 4, and is securely fixed in the desired, position b the thumb'screwF. The thic ness of the slices to be produced will depend upon the amount of depression of the inner end of the tilting table A below the knife D. The block B is then drawn backV over the table toward M, the vegetable to be sliced is placed upon the table A, between the knife D and the block B, and the latter is slid forward against the knife D cutting from the lower side of the vegetable a slice which dropsinto a suitable receptacle below. Or the block B may be pushed up over the table J, leaving the table A' clear,` and the vegetable then ma ,be pressed along the table A against the knife D, by the hand alone.

To use the implement for anypurpose other than slicing, the tableA is reversed as in Figs. 1 and 2. For/cutting. into stri s the table may be4 depressed and locked y the thumb screw as in the first process. The vegetable is placed upon the table A, between the knife D and the block B, inthe same position as before and being pressed E is cut both horizontally and verticallyby l frame, slightly fiexible latera by the block B against the knives D and E E across they E, the latter may be completely tightening andEEE,

To use the implement for cutting into l cubes or lozenges, the table A is set with the knives uppermost as in the last above case, but the thumb screw Fis loosened and the spring I set into position over the. end ofathe table A, which may then be depressed by pressure upon its inner end but will return by reason of the s ring I to its primary position in the same p ane with the table J when the pressure 'is removed. -V The block C is then slid toward the end L ofthe frame, the vegetable is placed on the table J, between the lknives E E E and the block C, which is then pressed against said knives EE E, cuttin the vegetableverticall to the height of sai knives. The vegetab e is then'turned on its vertical axis and is placed on thetiltin table A, between the knives E E E and the h slightly downward pressure against the knives D and E E E. AThe vegetable will then be cut into small cubes which will drop into a suitable receptacle below. lf instead of turning the vegetable 90' for the second cuttin tab e will be vcut -into diamond shaped lozen es.

c aim 1. AIn a vegetable cutter the`-combination of a fixed table bearing at one end a slicing knife lying in the same plane as the top of said table, and forming a continuation thereof, with a tilting table lying, when in its primary position, in the same plane as the fixed table' and making a continuation thereof, but which may be depressed a short distance by ressure at the end adjacent to the fixed tahle, two or more subsidiary knives, whose planes lie parallel to one another and at right angles, or substantially so to the plane of the slicing knife and to the cutting edge thereof, attached tothe tilting table at the end adj acent to the slicing knife, and a spring to return said tilting table to its prim ary position when the pressure is removed.

2. In avegetable cutter the combination of a fixed table bearing at one end a slicing knife lying in the same plane as the top of said table'and formingv a continuation thereof, with a tilting table having its under side .90. ook-B, which is then pushed with a it be turned a less amount, the vege- IOO plain and bearing on the upper side a series'of two or more subsidiary knives set. parallel to one another at -or near the end of the tilting table adjacent to the slicing knife and having the planesof said subsidiary` knives". at right angles, or substantially so lto the plane of the slicing knife and to the cuttin edge thereof,.a surrounding,

and supportin both of l,said tabl/es, pivots' passing throug v the vframe and into the tiltlng1 table upon which the latter may be turned a alf revolution thus reversing the under and uppersides, a longitudinal groove on the y inner side of said frame, two blocks Whose inner faces lie parallel to each other and are held always at Athe same distance apart by a .light rod bent in the form of a rectan le, lassing longitudinally through both of said b ocks and-.running in said groove, one of said blocks lying and sliding u on the xed table and the other of said bloc lying and' sliding upon said tilting table,.slots in said tilting table block. corresponding with the subsidiary knives, and 1n which, when said block is .pressed against the said subsidiary knives,

thel latter may be completely housed, a rod or bolt, threaded on one end and having an angular shoulder at the other end passing through the frame and through a transversehole or slot in the tilting table, a socket cor- Y Vsired.

res ondin to said angular shoulder and in which the atter sits in one side of the frame, and a compression nut turned on the threaded end of said rod a ainstthe other side of said frame, under W 'ch compression nut a metal plate `or washer may be placed, if de- 3. In a vegetable cutter the combination' of a fixed table, bearing at one end a slicing knife blade lying in the same plane with the top oi said table, and forminga continuation l thereof, with a tilting table lying when in its A ryiimary position, in the same plane with the A ed tab e of, but which may be depressed a short dis- .tance by 'ressure at the end adjacent to the fixed tab e, two or more subsidiary knife blades, Whose planes liev parallel to one an.- other and at right an les or substantially so, to the plane of the slicing knife blade and to the edge thereof, lattached to the tilting table and making a continuation therey at the end adj acent to the slicing knife blade,

a spring to return said tilting table to its primary position, when ressure is removed, tWo

blocks Whose inner aces lie parallel to each other and are held always at the same distance apart by suitable connections, one of 'said blocks lying and sliding upon the fixed table and the other of said blocks lying and of May; 1906'.

. ZENKICHI ONO.

Witnesses:

WALTER L. MOKEEVER, p CHRISTINE E. HANsELMAN. 

